Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat

Llywelyn · 07-15-2004, 03:38 PM

Evidently someone at the NSA has too much time on their hands. Others seem to be catching on as well, though in a slightly more sane manner.

The articles are serious, but there is a really amusing note underlying all of this.

Quote:

Security Notes from All Over: Coca-Cola and the NSA

Coca-Cola has a new contest. Hidden inside 100 cans of Coke there's a SIM card, GPS transmitter, and a microphone. The winners activate the Coke can by pressing a button, which will call a central monitoring facility. Then Coke tracks the winners down using the GPS transmitter and surprises them with their prize.

NSA engineers drink Coke. Lots and lots of Coke. The possibility that an active microphone in a Coke can could be in one of the NSA's highly secure facilities is worth considering. A reasonable threat analysis might look like this: "You know, the chances that one of these 100 cans out of hundreds of millions of cans ends up in our building is extremely small -- somewhere around 1 in 100,000 -- so it's not worth worrying about."

But the NSA's Information Staff Security Office) decreed differently: "It is important that ALL cans of Coca-Cola within our spaces be inspected. This includes cans already in our buildings and those being delivered on a daily basis. If you discover one of these cans, DO NOT activate it. Instead, you should alert your ISSO immediately and report the incident."

This is hysterical. Can you imagine inspecting every can of Coke entering the NSA, opening each of the hundreds of cases of Coke and inspecting every can for a GPS transmitter? What does this cost? What is the NSA not doing because they're doing this instead?

Of course the engineers at NSA are already starting to create Coke cans with antennas, circuit boards, and keypads. They are leaving them around snack messes as practical jokes.

And where's Pepsi in all of this? Shouldn't they be advertising "surveillance-free cola"?

Funny stuff, but there's a serious point here. Again and again, security decisions are clouded by agenda. The NSA's Coca-Cola inspection policy is an example of CYA. Some executive within NSA didn't want to be personally responsible for a GPS receiver slipping through security, so he decided that everything should be inspected. It's a small risk to the greater population, but it's a larger risk to him. His agenda is different from that of society's, but because his agenda matters more to him and it's his decision, his is what gets followed.

We as a society need to figure out how to make security trade-off decisions another way. Having specific individuals or corporations make security trade-offs for us based on their agenda isn't making us more secure, and it's costing us a whole lot of money.

I've added emphasis at one part because I love engineering humor

**Naikuu** · 07-15-2004, 03:53 PM

i think that's pretty funny.
coke's like the new furby or something.

SangReal · 07-15-2004, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naikuu

coke's like the new furby or something.

Call me stupid, but I have no clue what this has to do with a Furby. Inform me.

Honestly, there is a security threat there. However, instead of going through every single can of coke inspecting it, couldn't they just call up Coca-Cola and be like "Hey, y'all, can ya ship us some non-winning coke cans please?" I'm sure they would oblige. Okay, and by the way, why do these cans need microphones in the first place? *confused*

**Naikuu** · 07-15-2004, 04:19 PM

wasnt there something about furbys, like, they learned based off what you say to them and stuff, and 'remembered' it or something?

they were like banned some places or something because of that, or, am i just nuts

**Kaydee** · 07-15-2004, 04:20 PM

furbys... I belive they would be able to take over the world. The are scary little things!

**Naikuu** · 07-15-2004, 04:25 PM

hell yes i am right pshaw *bows*
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,19322,00.html

Llywelyn · 07-15-2004, 04:50 PM

Or you could just have read the articles I linked too... the latter one mentions it

nitecrawl3r · 07-15-2004, 05:03 PM

Now if Osama would just buy a winning can of Coke...

Megami · 07-15-2004, 07:42 PM

That's just really, really odd.

rachel_dancer · 07-15-2004, 07:52 PM

haaahha!
right when i read the article, i also thought about the furby. funny thing is that i have a white one. lol i was playing with it yesterday because my mom brought it up or something. lol!!!

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07-15-2004, 03:53 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #2
Naikuu OMG NO ONE CALL ME Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Waco, TX Age: 25 Posts: 701 Points: 3,776.57 Bank: 1,284.24 Total Points: 5,060.81 Donate	i think that's pretty funny. coke's like the new furby or something.

07-15-2004, 04:19 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #4
Naikuu OMG NO ONE CALL ME Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Waco, TX Age: 25 Posts: 701 Points: 3,776.57 Bank: 1,284.24 Total Points: 5,060.81 Donate	wasnt there something about furbys, like, they learned based off what you say to them and stuff, and 'remembered' it or something? they were like banned some places or something because of that, or, am i just nuts

07-15-2004, 04:20 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #5
Kaydee Mommy 2 Be !! Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Chesapeake, VA Age: 31 Posts: 1,505 Points: 6,703.75 Bank: 112,708.65 Total Points: 119,412.40 Donate	furbys... I belive they would be able to take over the world. The are scary little things!

07-15-2004, 04:25 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #6
Naikuu OMG NO ONE CALL ME Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Waco, TX Age: 25 Posts: 701 Points: 3,776.57 Bank: 1,284.24 Total Points: 5,060.81 Donate	hell yes i am right pshaw bows http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,19322,00.html

07-15-2004, 04:50 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #7
Llywelyn Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Age: 33 Posts: 781 Points: 13,549,731.89 Bank: 344,630,038.52 Total Points: 358,179,770.41 Donate	Or you could just have read the articles I linked too... the latter one mentions it

07-15-2004, 05:03 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #8
nitecrawl3r Happy Happy Joy Joy Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: NY again...whee. Age: 38 Posts: 489 Points: 622.00 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 622.00 Donate	Now if Osama would just buy a winning can of Coke...

07-15-2004, 07:42 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #9
Megami Medicated Drama Queen Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Where negativity's a state of mind... Age: 25 Posts: 222 Points: 357.00 Bank: 0.00 Total Points: 357.00 Donate	That's just really, really odd.

07-15-2004, 07:52 PM	Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat Post #10
rachel_dancer RALF Elitist Bitch Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: canada Age: 29 Posts: 1,073 Points: 389.26 Bank: 131.95 Total Points: 521.21 Donate	haaahha! right when i read the article, i also thought about the furby. funny thing is that i have a white one. lol i was playing with it yesterday because my mom brought it up or something. lol!!!

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Coca Cola: The Next Security Threat